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-8 degrees on Monday, how cold is too cold?

lauraandmike

lauraandmike

Warren Scout
I've been keeping my eye on the temperature at night everyday. Its expected to be minus 8 here in the midlands by Monday.

Should I bring my buns inside? I know I would have to keep them in for the winter then which will be difficult as we have a small house, and they hated it last year.

Its just that these temperatures are well below average. And in the wild a rabbits burrow will have a more or less constant temperature, thats how they survive, so im worried!!

Covered the run in plastic sheets to give extra cover, but they are covered in ice on the inside this morning and it was only -4 last night. the hutch is barracaded up to the eyeballs but temp will still drop a hell of a lot. Put loads of hay in there but they dont burrow into it, they just sit on top of it............

what do you reckon??

laura
 
My buns are outside buns no matter what the weather will be - unless one of them gets too ill to be outside.
I think that you have taken good precautions.
As you may read on other temperature/snow threads you will see that a lot of daft buns like to sit in cold bits of the run/hutch but be assured that they will snuggle up when they get too cold and if there is enough bedding and covers they will be fine.
Sounds as if you have more than one bun and they do keep each other warm. Plus winter coats have had time to grow and so I would try to not worry.
:)
 
I think its important to remember that your bunnies will have a very thick winter coat by this time of the year. They're probably going to be completely fine if they have plenty of hay to snuggle in and are able to cuddle up to each other. I know that even in seemingly really cold temps my buns still like to be outside so they obviously don't feel the cold like we do.
I tend to just keep an eye on their water as it always freezes if not covered up. I'm definitely going to invest in a couple of snugs for their bottles this year.
Helen xx
 
H Maughan said:
I think its important to remember that your bunnies will have a very thick winter coat by this time of the year. They're probably going to be completely fine if they have plenty of hay to snuggle in and are able to cuddle up to each other. I know that even in seemingly really cold temps my buns still like to be outside so they obviously don't feel the cold like we do.
I tend to just keep an eye on their water as it always freezes if not covered up. I'm definitely going to invest in a couple of snugs for their bottles this year.
Helen xx
Click to expand...

Yes i know us humans cant cope with the cold. I let them out every night wearing 4 sets of clothes! Polly hasnt jumped over the wall yet, but it could happen, i will look like a michelin man flopping over after her!

i think i will buy some more blankets for the outside of hutch and nail them on.

i have two rabbits and their coats are very thick, can hardly feel their bodies anymore. and no they are not too fat!!

water in the hutch hasnt frozen so thats a good sign

will try not to worry :?

laura x
x
 
I'm using snugglesafes when it drops that far below zero. It adds a bit of warmth to the hutch overnight even if they don't sit on them directly. The main thing I think is to make sure the wind & rain are kept out and provide lots of hay.
 
i brought ruby in on friday night and she is staying in for the winter now as her dog crate has arrived. She has quite a thick coat but as i wanted to bond her with reggie who has been in since november and so doesnlt have a winter coat at all the decision has been to bring her in and they will have to live in til spring.

The water bottle was totally frozen friday morning despite me covering her with a fleece!
 
Mine of lots of straw which is warmer than hay for bedding.
It was -8c here last night and mine were sat in their runs this morning:roll:
They were absolutely fine:D
 
Hi all :wave:.. I have 4 buns all under a year. Two minature Rex's (one little black velvet Rex and one fawn min Rex). All live out, though the little fawn Rex is in for a few nights due to being spayed. She is so good when outside in her hutch. She utilises the small enclosed area as her bedroom. It is packed with straw and she has burrowed a nice little hole into it. When ever I go out all that u can see is her nose and eyes and if I place my hand in next to her body she is very warm. The other idiots don't do this in their hutches. They sit in the open on top of the straw and use the enclosed area of the hutch for a toilet :roll: .. However the hutches are under a verandah roof so ice and snow doesn't settle on them but the wind does blow on the hutches. At night I cover the hutches with a canvas type cover which is plastic backed (the plastic faces out). They seem warm enough. One of the water bottles did freeze the one night :)
 
You can also buy some VERY cheap duvets at places like Tescos and flop them over the roof and over the front/back. Last year when it was really cold I bought 5 of these (one for each outdoor hutch) and they made a huge difference - its like having loft insulation!

They can be washed and stored at the end of winter.

Also if you get very worried and haven't got a snugglesafe you can heat a normal housebrick in the oven for a couple of hours on low heat then wrap that in a towel and put it in the hutch. I think they are better than snugglesafes - though of course not as quick (do NOT put the brick in the microwave:shock::shock::shock:).

I am also using straw as well as hay at present as it keeps its fluffyness longer and thus traps more warm air.

Layer newspaper underneath it too.

Good luck!
 
lauraandmike said:
Covered the run in plastic sheets to give extra cover, but they are covered in ice on the inside this morning and it was only -4 last night. the hutch is barracaded up to the eyeballs but temp will still drop a hell of a lot. Put loads of hay in there but they dont burrow into it, they just sit on top of it............

what do you reckon??

laura
Click to expand...

Hi Laura:wave:

I have been just like you over the rabbits. I have two, but in separate hutches because they fight.
I covered the hutches up with plastic sheeting, and in the morning the inside of the hutch roof was dripping wet (just like condensation), so I placed a large folded plastic sheet that you can get, they call it tarpaulin over the roof. In the morning I was surprised, as there was no dripping or moisture inside the roof at all. I now also cover the front of the hutches with some hessian backed carpet that I got last week, and then pull a plastic sheet over the carpet to make it water resistant and to keep the cold out. Hessian backed stops any sweating inside the hutch.

Dave.:wave:
 
:wave: I have an outdoor bun In a shed and an indoor at the mo and the outdoor girlie has a noticably thicker coat than the my indoor male. I would do what has been suggested with regards the cheap duvets from Asda or Tesco under the plastic sheeting and if you can afford a snugglesafe get one of those for them to. The house brick in the oven is a brilliant alternative. If you do a search on here there is a link to Amazon I believe which is cheaper than pets at home for the snugglesafe. I think as long as the hutch is completely covered at the back and most of the front (allow some air to get in for ventilation) and they have loads of hay they should be alright. Do they get time in the morning to run around and warm up?
 
Mine have been doing fine so far and it was -5 last night. For the 1st time this winter I woke to a frozen water bottle, but the water bowl wasnt froxen, mind you only a drab left lol.

I fleeced lined the cabin area, made a bed box and stuffed it with hay (though thinking of trying straw) and at night I cover the front run and door with plastic sheeting. I still worry which i think is normal, but they are fine so far. Mine dont like the cold much and tend to stay in the sleeping side more, but they was all out in the run today :)
 
I just stuff the hutches with hay and straw. Yes straw is warmer, but often it's chopped into fine pieces so you should use hay as well so the rabbits can kind of snuggle under it. My rabbits have been fine the last 7 years, and they didn't even have anything to cover their hutch :shock: Luckily though this year I have a curtain covering one of the hutches, and two of the rabbits in the garage.
 
I put starw in their bed area only to find they kick it out but past 3 days they haven't but do 'push' it away to the front of their entrance..they have lots of hay in the upstairs area (that's where they lounge and munch but never poo)...they use the downstairs for litter trays and toys..food etc...very well trained bunnehs :lol::lol: anyway they have the silver bubble loft insulation covering their hutch and then a the hutch hugger cover on top...also I have their snuggle safe which I have being putting in the last few nights.......but during the day they're out playing as usual:love:
 
Candiflare said:
If my buns are in a shed tonight, are they okay? :( Their water bottles froze solid last night :(
Click to expand...

Yes I would've thought so, have you tried a bowl of snow at least they can get fluid that way...change the water before you go to bed , someone said not really cold would delay the freeze process
 
Benny has a hutch over run type thing based on cold cold concrete. He's actually warmer than the girls in the shed I think (brick shed on concrete again) - although none of the bunnies seem at all bothered by the cold - it's hot weather they really hate, plus cold draughts and damp.

my hutch mesh is covered in clear plastic shower curtain, and 3 layers of rugs - I use rubber backed play rugs and utility rugs from wilkinsons as they're more waterproof and hardwearing than carpet. I put boards around the run part except for the door, and I board that up at night too, just to keep foxes away never mind the cold.

Benny has nothing in his hutch except these underbed storage boxes from wilkinsons - one upstairs, one downstairs - he always looks very happy no matter how cold it is :)

P1010154.jpg
 
Is it wrong to bring buns in on very cold nights and put them out again? I had mine in for 3 nights over new years as my boy Sooty cant stand fireworks and seems to go into shock over them :(

I was going to bring them in for this week as its going to be so cold but perhaps I should keep them out if they dont like chopping and changing???
 
I wouldn't advise it, their body is having to adjust to different temperature and extreme ones at that...I'd put them extra shavings/straw for bedding and lots of hay in their hutch, use a tarpaulin or shower curtain to protect them from snow, rain and wind
 
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